The Seasons
by waterlit
Summary: Every life goes through a cycle like that of the 4 seasons, and Allen's one is not that different. Minor Allen/Lenalee. Oneshot!


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Disclaimer: I don't own D. Gray- Man!

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**Spring **

Spring arrives with the dawn, all decked out in light colours. And you'd be quite right if you said everything started with spring. It was in the spring of the world when the Earl of Millennium rose out of the depths of his evil thoughts and started waging war. On the other hand, though, the arrival of spring clad all in gentle, cold wind also brought with it a thin cry – the cry that an infant utters when he sinks into this world. The birth of Allen Walker gave the first sheen to a gloomy spring.

Of course, there are spring days where the weather is unstable; Allen resurrected his foster father into an akuma, but that problem was readily solved by his left arm. And the clouds parted again with the arrival of General Cross.

Around the world, spring spelled the beginning of change, the intrusion of all that was good and joyful into the empire of evil.

**Summer**

Summer follows spring, because it is the will of nature. No amount of praying can change the fact that summer will and must come after the peak of spring. Likewise, the laws of fate dictate the beginning of the soon-to-be-won war against the Earl, and Bookman hails Allen as the Destroyer of Time.

There is nothing more destructive than normal about Allen though; he spends his summer days freeing the souls of any akuma he meets. He jokes with Lavi, fights with Kanda and practises hard. He doesn't notice it, but Lenalee is now stealing furtive glances at him – more often than necessary. She doesn't know why, but her heart feels for the cheerful Allen. He doesn't know it either, but love has begun to gnaw at his lonely heart. He cannot hear it, for his selfless nature pushes him too far, and he listens solely to the cries for help that radiate from those who suffer.

Summer, as we all know, is a happy time spent with friends. Indeed, though their job is dangerous, Allen and his fellow exorcists are happy when they spend time together. However, every summer brings with it something like a heatwave; sweltering, stifling us so much that we cannot bear to glance even at the dark green leaves of the tall trees that sway in the windless vacuum. Allen loses his arm sometime into summer, but sheer hard work tides him through it. Of course, Lenalee weeps for him, bringing some gentle shower into being, mothering the parched lands, but it is not enough.

Summer always ends, though. Allen and his friends steel their willpower to continue walking towards the coolness of autumn.

**Autumn**

Autumn nearly always flits in with the grace of a woodland nymph. She brings cool gushes of wind and drizzles with her as she seeks to undo any damage wrought by the over-enthusiastic summer. She paints leaves in different shades and tosses them over her shoulder so they can drift artistically in the coils of wind draped over her body.

It is in autumn that Lenalee and Allen are wed under a starry canopy among ancient trees. Komui sobs somewhere, battering the tree he leans upon with tears of sorrow and joy. Lavi, Kanda, Krory and Miranda sing with much gusto (although Kanda looks very reluctant and exasperated), while Bookman condescends to smile. Glasses clink and voices rise as the moon sails majestically over the dark seas.

It is in autumn too, that Allen and Lenalee have their first child. They eat, drink and are generally merry. The Black Order Headquarters gets a revamp too, and everyone is happy.

The end of autumn comes, and the wind howls with greater intensity. In their cosy house, Allen smiles and utters a thankful prayer for everything that has gone right so far. For summer has long been over, and if his intuition is to be trusted, the parched lands will never come into being again during his life.

Autumn brought healing with her cool winds of joy.

**Winter**

Winter loves stagnation, and desolation follows in her wake. Snowflakes drift through the land, covering all objects with powdery snow. Everything blends in with the landscape and life becomes a dreary bore. The winds that sweep the land are twisted with a bitter cold that chills to the core. Hail beats down upon Bookman's grave. Allen watches as the hard cold stones wear out the glossy marble that marks out Bookman's final resting place. There is no name on the stone, except for that ubiquitous word, Bookman. All his learned lore and his practical knowledge are no shield against the unyielding anger of the elements.

The next winter, Allen and Lenalee make a pilgrimage to a village some distance away, where Lavi lived his life until his end came in the fullness of time. His wife and children greet them with surprise, for they have only visited once since his death a few years back. Lavi's gravestone is a clone of his mentor's; his is inscribed with Bookman too, though the word Lavi has been scribbled underneath. Wisps of mist drift pass as they stare down at the stone covered in feathery white powder. Lavi. Another goodbye is due as winter advances.

Another winter means another trip. Allen and Lenalee enter the grounds of the Black Order Headquarters and take a slow, memory-laden stroll. They reach the graveyard behind the chapel, where the dead lie deep beneath the soil that has been trodden upon for years uncounted. The un-named dead and the named dead from the time of the Earl mingle together. Treading this maze, the duo make their way towards the leftmost corner. They kneel and touch the stones that stand guard over the sleeping bodies of their fellow exorcists. Winter brings countless goodbyes.

Winter sweeps over the land again and this time round, Allen walks alone up the hill. The wind trails around him like a wayward scarf, but he staggers on, though the flying snow clouds his vision at times. At last he reaches his destination. A polished black obelisk stands tall at the summit of the hill. On it is etched the words " Lenalee" – those are the only words that he takes in. his eyes mist over as he embraces the stone, wrinkly fingers tracing the curves of her name. He knows she cannot hear him speaking to her, but he hopes that the mounting wind will carry his words to her anyway. After he leaves, the tears that glisten on the edge of the obelisk still sparkle in the dim sunlight.

Winter has come again. Allen Walker sits in an armchair by the dying fire. The light of the embers is scarcely enough to light up the room; rather, it throws a weak circle around Allen. The rest of the room melts into shadows. Allen Walker can hear Winter's footsteps outside his home. And he realises that her partner has come along. Death treads softly outside, his scythe brushing gently against the bricks and rustling trees. They enter the room, and Allen can see them. Winter stands there tall, proud and pale, a queen of ice and snow. Death stares at him from slit-eyes hidden beneath a dark hooded cloak, both shades blending into the darkness.

Death extends his hand. Allen wonders if he should take it.

The room fills with mist, and he sees his childhood and life all over again. The abandonment at birth, his adoption, the double death of his foster father, himself as the Destroyer of Time… he stays silent till the end.

His life has been long. And he misses his friends. He is weary now, and he follows Death.

Winter closed the circle of time.

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A/N: Heh most of the fics i've posted recently seem to be based on D. Gray- Man! I wonder why too. Mmm hope you liked this! i copied the concept from my first fic (on inuyasha) so yeahh. Thanks for reading, review if you want to! :D


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